Progress, Beauty, and the Cost on Our Coast

Hi Hive! It's striking how a place can hold so many memories, yet still transform right before your eyes. For me, that place is our beach.  Growing up in a coastal town, the beach was pretty much our backyard. It was a calm and quiet spot where all you heard was the waves crashing and the wind whistling. We used to spend hours there when we were just kids, just to unwind and hangout with friends and family, feeling completely at peace.  But things change! And our quiet shore got a big huge makeover. They built this boulevard, a concrete path that now links up all the coastal towns around us. Honestly, it's been a game-changer! It's brought so many more people to the beach, and you can see businesses just booming. During golden hour, it's buzzing with folks, and at night, the night market is just alive with energy. It's awesome to see our local economy really take off. |https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/cindee08/2449x2Ey18kwrjTA3AbAfgjUkeFhRbD6MMTEcvKLCcRMR1xMdAUoAuWstt1bJVHKUtf1f.jpg|https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/cindee08/EoCi8PDJ1ApHaS6xCi5kaNTGfq95e6KBwtDkKwPDuMBradtJ7atrerpX5QL9HrbaWrZ.jpg| |-|-| Here's the tricky part, though. While it's great to see everyone enjoying the beach, there's a downside that's hard to ignore: the trash. That once-clean shoreline is now often covered in food wrappers and, the worst part, all those little barbecue sticks that are so common with Filipino street food are scattered in the shore. It's a real shame when you remember how untouched it used to be.  |https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/cindee08/EpNos5Ad2uwW1S6Cp3pypJ3p35KwcDZsu1HWubErWGcpxm4thbzzwY7fLbLoYFCFJ2x.jpg|https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/cindee08/Eou8DnaLA1nmhkGjeoXMqJCP2k6PVurJAwGvFeqhGvotnzZM13PAwRx9skyFHXo7GfU.jpg| |-|-| It makes you think, doesn't it? Can we really have all this development and still keep the natural beauty that drew us here in the first place? I really hope that as our town keeps growing, they'll focus more on keeping it clean. And honestly, it's up to all of us – locals and tourists alike – to do our part.   The dark, quiet, peaceful beach I grew up with is now a brightly lit, busy spot with a cool baywalk and tons of energy. I definitely miss those quiet moments, but I know we cannot stop progress. And even with all the litter, this place is still absolutely breathtaking during golden hour. It just goes to show even with big changes, there's still beauty to be found. But imagine how much better it would be if we all just helped keep it clean.    Aright, so we have seen the beauty, the changes, and yes, the mess. The problem is that this isn't simply a story about the beach in my town; it's a story that is taking place in countless locations worldwide. Development is inevitable and frequently results in positive things for the community, such as new opportunities. However, it also carries a responsibility, one that applies to all of us. What about you? Have you seen your own favorite places drastically changed? More significantly, as tourists and locals, what can we do to ensure that the very beauty that attracts us is not sacrificed for progress? Thank you for reading and I hope you have a great weekend ahead! ❤️❤️❤️  _{All photos are my own, unless stated otherwise. The lead image was edited using Canva.}